Is collecting excessive amounts of TV shows on DVD a hobby OR an obsessive-compulsive disorder? (1 Viewer)

[Malcolm R]

I have this fantasy that someday I will cut the cord with my Cable TV and simply watch all my discs. That's one way I justify my collection.

 

[stringbean]

I may be borderline with OCD. I'm now collecting second copies of DVD sets I already own(just the ones I really love) new and sealed in the case that someday a disc may fail, or get scratched. I will have a back up.

I know this is bad, but it makes sense....sort of.

Crikey!! I've been doing this too. For example, I love my 60s Hanna Barbera cartoons like Flintstones, Wacky Races, Top Cat e.t.c and I recently purchased another set of each for the very same reasons, just in case I ever need to replace any that get damaged.

This is mainly because I know that DVDs (and CDs) are dying a slow death in favour of streaming. Some titles are now only available On-Demand on those inferior DVD-R so I'm getting in quick whilst my favourites are still available on those proper pressed shiny discs.

 

[Malcolm R]

I've been doing this too. For example, I love my 60s Hanna Barbera cartoons like Flintstones, Wacky Races, Top Cat e.t.c and I recently purchased another set of each for the very same reasons, just in case I ever need to replace any that get damaged.

I hope those that are making the effort to do this are storing the back-ups securely and in a different location separately from the original sets in case of flood, fire, etc., so that you don't lose both sets in the same event should something happen.

 

[tlc38tlc38]

I have this fantasy that someday I will cut the cord with my Cable TV and simply watch all my discs. That's one way I justify my collection.

That's basically the reason I'm collecting....that and I enjoy watching TV on DVDs.

If it weren't for "Days of our Lives" and "Wheel of Fortune", I'd get rid of DIRECTV in a heartbeat. I've already reduced my channels to the lowest possible package they offer.

 

[Bryan^H]

I hope those that are making the effort to do this are storing the back-ups securely and in a different location separately from the original sets in case of flood, fire, etc., so that you don't lose both sets in the same event should something happen.

I am.

 

[jcroy]

While researching this topic, I found the following info on wikipedia under Compulsive Hoarding. I never heard of Bibliomania (Book Hoarding) before. How long before they come up with a term for DVD Hoarding?

If I didn't know any better, this sounds like "jargon proliferation" by social science or medical school professors + researchers, attempting to make a name for themselves and/or getting more citations on their books / papers.

(With that being said).

One of my other OCD compulsive completionist collecting activities, centered around a certain narrow niche of books. The only way I was able to jump off this particular OCD treadmill, was from complete utter burnout.

I was at the point where I was going through the "dump bin" equivalents in this niche, which involved searching and buying long out-of-print titles being discarded by college/university libraries. I gradually came to the realization why so many of these titles went out-of-print many years/decades ago. (ie. They were either lousy and/or superfluous).

Essentially I was deep in the "Sturgeon phase" of OCD completionist collecting, where the titles I didn't have were mostly the remaining turds which were long forgotten. The really marginal stuff that only the hardcore old timers (without alzheimers / dementia) would be able to remember from back in the day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon's_law

 

[jcroy]

I hope those that are making the effort to do this are storing the back-ups securely and in a different location separately from the original sets in case of flood, fire, etc., so that you don't lose both sets in the same event should something happen.

As in a safe deposit box in a bank vault ?

 

[stringbean]

I hope those that are making the effort to do this are storing the back-ups securely and in a different location separately from the original sets in case of flood, fire, etc., so that you don't lose both sets in the same event should something happen.

They're in the Anderson fallout shelter at the bottom of the garden.

 

[BobO'Link]

I have this fantasy that someday I will cut the cord with my Cable TV and simply watch all my discs. That's one way I justify my collection.

I essentially did that a couple of years ago when I got an HDTV.

My CRT is a 32" model and a bit on the heavy side. It resides in a large TV/storage unit (it's 4' x 4.5' x 1.5' - one of those things with compartments, shelves, and drawers below the set and storage to the side) with all those compartments and drawers full of TVonDVD titles with a DVD player and game system under the set on the smallest shelf. The last time it was emptied was to move it away from the wall just enough to get behind it and connect a video game system. I spent at least an hour just unloading and reloading season sets - and that's without taking the set out (I can lift the "empty" cabinet by myself just enough to swing it out a bit). The set is too heavy for me to move safely by myself, my wife is unable to help (too heavy for her), and I get few visitors at opportune times. So... the HDTV was put on an end table on an adjacent wall and has never been connected to cable. The CRT is still in the cabinet and still connected to cable but I only turn it on to play that one game system (the other is connected to the HD set). It's never used to watch TV unless one of the grandkids turns it on because grandma's set is in use. That's very rare.

All of my "TV" viewing is via disc on the HDTV. I've connected a laptop a couple of times to stream something but it was somewhat of a hassle as it was a TV program with commercials (for the record, it was The Orville, the only current TV program, outside sampling a few episodes of STD, I've bothered to watch "live" and it's allways a day or so later via streaming). If I just watched via the laptop in my comfy chair I'd switch tabs during commercials and do some generic surfing. I couldn't do that with it connected.

If my wife would allow it I'd have the cable disconnected. I get my news from the paper, weather from NOAA, and have zero interest in sports. I have no use for anything cable offers. IMHO it's a rather expensive boondoggle. When I think of all the TVonDVD sets I could purchase with that money...

 

[Bryan^H]

Crikey!! I've been doing this too. For example, I love my 60s Hanna Barbera cartoons like Flintstones, Wacky Races, Top Cat e.t.c and I recently purchased another set of each for the very same reasons, just in case I ever need to replace any that get damaged.

This is mainly because I know that DVDs (and CDs) are dying a slow death in favour of streaming. Some titles are now only available On-Demand on those inferior DVD-R so I'm getting in quick whilst my favourites are still available on those proper pressed shiny discs.

I can say with almost complete certainty, the TV on DVD sets I am buying duplicates of will never see another DVD or Blu-Ray release. Knowing this makes them easier to re-purchase.

 

[Nick*Z]

An obsession is only detrimental when it negatively impacts your wallet, your waistline or your morality. Collecting vintage TV shows on home video does none of the above. My purse has oft' been lighter for my 'addiction' but never to the point where I had to start selling my body - at this age...only to medical science!

 

[Ethan Riley]

The question might not matter soon. I believe that the whole tv-on-dvd hobby is circling the drain as we speak. Not enough forum members collect current shows for them to really notice, but a LOT of current shows are being abandoned on dvd. I don't know if or when they will resume.

As for classic tv, what did we really get last year? We got Laugh-In and Green Acres complete, but what else? Angie? It's About Time? I expect 2018 to be at least similar or not as good. It's going away.

I notice retailers more reluctant to even carry tv shows. Shelf space for dvds in general is disappearing. My Target doesn't seem to carry any tv shows except for Game of Thrones and maybe one copy of Westworld.

Our OCD problems will be solved, even if we didn't want them solved.

 

[Eric_Bee]

Depends who you ask. I say healthy, enjoyable hobby. My wife says OCD

 

[Carabimero]

I can say with almost complete certainty, the TV on DVD sets I am buying duplicates of will never see another DVD or Blu-Ray release. Knowing this makes them easier to re-purchase.

The following list contains all the DVD sets I have acquired duplicates of for backup purposes:

THE FUGITIVE MOST WANTED EDITION

 

[David Norman]

The main problem is the complete and utter misuse of the terms compulsion, obsession, and OCD.

OCD or hoarding is not defined as "more than I think you need or is necessary" or "more than I have"
It's not defined as having a bunch of movies sitting on the shelf that you never watch. That could be wasteful or even silly (according to others), but in no way would by itself make a diagnosis of OCD.
You could very easily have 20000 discs and be nowhere close to either of those.
You could have 200 and be floridly OCD.

Is is disruptive to normal daily functions.
Are you spending money you don't have instead of paying rent, buying food or clothes for your childrend
Are you blowing off work and getting rid of friends to go buy discs.

I honestly see a lot more true OCD behaviour in the way many people use Social Media and their Smartphones. I know a whole lot
more people that would become physically ill and become essentially non-functional or have a debilitating panic attack if I put them in a room without access to their phone/Facebook. I know of virtually no BD collector who would have a severe reaction if I restricted access to their Disc collection or arranged that they couldn't buy a New Disc for 2 months. I have a very large collection (far/far more than I 'need'), but if my house burned down/got hit by a tornado and every single item was destroyed, I'd be unhappy but I'd be able to function perfectly fine in life, go to work, talk with my family, and continue on pretty much the same way in life.

 

[Ron Lee Green]

Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to respond to my post. It's been nice to discuss this issue with other people who have similar interests and experiences, and I've found your comments very helpful. I've come to the conclusion that I don't have OCD mainly because I don't meet the criteria as some of you have explained.
My hobby is just a silly, little thing I do, but it really hasn't affected my social life, work, health, or daily routines to a degree where I can't function normally. It hasn't been really expensive, either, because I usually wait for things to go on sale.
I'm going to start focusing on storage issues, now, because I've live in an apartment and I'm slowly running out of space. I have one bookshelf filed to capacity with my absolute holy grail DVD sets. The rest are in storage boxes underneath my bed, or in the closet.
I'm thinking of moving some discs to binders, and discard or breakdown the cases to free up space.

 

[stringbean]

I buy a lot but I don't consider it an obsession or OCD because like a couple of others above have mentioned, I really fear that this will be the last time such TV shows (and films) will ever be released on a physical format and that day is dawning at a fast rate.

I'm English and live here in the UK. Now that I'm almost done collecting my favourite home-grown TV shows, I have started importing from Amazon (US) classic TV shows like Highway Patrol, Adam 12, Storm Trooper, Bat Masterson e.t.c. before it all comes to a halt. We just cannot get those over here in Region 2 Land so I have been kind of panicking a bit lately, probably unnecessary but knowing my luck, if I don't get them they'll suddenly be available from 3rd party sellers only at extortionate prices.

 

[bmasters9]

I'm thinking of moving some discs to binders, and discard or breakdown the cases to free up space.

Which, I would say, is good common sense-- all that packaging probably takes up a lot of room, no matter how they're packaged!

 

[jcroy]

In the end, it is your decision as to whether you consider this behavior to be a form of "OCD" and whether it has to be treated (either professionally or by self-discipline, reverse engineering, etc ....).

Other factors could be contributing factors such as: eviction, divorce, imminent bankruptcy, etc ... as to whether any behavior has to be changed.

 

[bmasters9]

The only classic American TV series that I have complete that were more than two seasons are Superman, Perry Mason, Star Trek: TOS, and Dragnet 1967-70, none of which I've seen in its entirety, although I'm making good progress with Perry Mason, having got to the middle of Season 4 this month. I plan to watch it systematically in order, as I feel like it, until I'm done, however many years that takes. I'm never not in the mood for a Mason episode, but I tend to watch them one at a time and maybe two, but not more than that in one session. (I'm not a binge-watcher.)

I have quite a few more than you on that score--

Barney Miller
The Bob Newhart Show
M Squad
Arthur Hailey's Hotel
Mannix
Cannon
Wanted: Dead or Alive

and, as you, O-R NBC 60s Star Trek.

And, also, as you, I'm not the binger either-- one at a time for hour series, and at most two at a time for comedies and shorter dramas.